Clifton Oliver, Broadway Star of 'The Lion King,' & Wicked', Dead at 47

Transcript

00:00 Clifton Oliver has died at the age of 47. The Broadway star was best known for his role in

00:06 The Lion King and Wicked. He also starred alongside Jordan Sparks in In the Heights.

00:12 Clifton's sister Roxy Hall confirmed the heartbreaking news on Facebook on Wednesday,

00:17 writing, "My baby brother Clifton Oliver has had his final curtain call. It was peaceful.

00:23 His partner Richard was singing to him the song Psalm 23 as he took his last breath this morning

00:30 at 3.20am. She went on to share sweet memories of his life, emotionally penning,

00:36 "He had a gorgeous smile on his beautiful face. He went twirling into the afterlife,

00:42 ready to make his grand appearance as the star of his homecoming celebration. My heart is sad

00:48 and overjoyed at the same time. I will miss him, but he is finally at peace. He brought so much

00:54 light to this world. He brought so much light to my life. He impacted the lives of people throughout

01:00 the world as he showcased his amazing talent, kind soul, and loving spirit to everyone he met.

01:07 He will be missed but never forgotten. He lives within all of us." According to Playbill,

01:12 the music star began his career in New York City in 2010 after studying at Douglas Anderson's

01:18 School of the Arts in Florida. He starred as Simba in the hit Disney show in 2011.

01:24 His sister went on to reflect on his final days, concluding, "As the song goes, in one of his most

01:31 prominent roles of Simba in The Lion King on Broadway, he lives in me. I will value my time

01:37 within the last six weeks of his life that I spent at his bedside in the hospital and then finally

01:43 hospice. I was able to love on my baby brother and will always cherish the memories of having an

01:50 honor and privilege to do just that. There will be more information to come as we begin to plan

01:55 the celebration of Clifton Oliver." He is survived by his partner Richard, his sister, and his

02:01 brothers Eddie and Jonathan Oliver, Playbill reports.

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